NEWS

José James is reborn as a powerful voice in contemporary R&B on Love in a Time of Madness, his vibrant new album which will be released on February 24. The album pre-order launches today along with the release of the lead track “Always There,” which is available instantly to fans with pre-order.

Moviegoers next month will find James featured in an on-screen performing role in the highly-anticipated sequel Fifty Shades Darker, which is set for release on February 10. James has also announced a U.S. tour that kicks off March 16 in Atlanta and includes shows at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City on March 23 and Echo in Los Angeles on March 28. See below for a full list of tour dates.

"Movement has been on my mind," says James. "Not just hearts and minds—I want people to hit the dance floor. I could make jazz albums the rest of my life, but I want to reach people, man. I like Jamie xx as much as I like Miles Davis, you know? "

James initially planned on Love in a Time of Madness being a double album. One side would be about love, and the other about societal madness—a response to the systemic and often physical violence perpetrated on U.S. citizens of color. But as he worked on the music, he recalls, "The madness part was getting way more out of control. The murders kept happening and it became overwhelming and depressing." So instead of rehashing the pain, James doubled down on the part of the album that could provide healing. That's not to say James' take on love is all so rosy. This is an album where romance isn't always romantic. James wanted to tell love's whole story.

"There's a resurgence of something I haven't seen since the '90s or '00s, when hip-hop, R&B, and pop were converging in really thrilling ways through folks like Tribe, Erykah Badu, or D'Angelo," says James. "There's a whole new generation now that's unafraid to blend it all together. The world is ready for this kind of thing again."